Survey: HDTV Is A Super Bowl Party Must

It continues to amaze me how every one in the world seems to be acutely aware of the global economic meltdown, except the professional sports industry.

Well, a new survey on Super Bowl viewing practices conducted for Samsung by Kelton Research may give at least some professional football owners a moment’s pause.

According to the study, nearly three in four (73 percent) football fans surveyed said they would prefer getting an HDTV to watch their favorite football team from home to receiving season tickets for their favorite team.

{Editor’s note: I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of those fans were from the New York City or Dallas, Texas areas, where season ticket holders are being asked to shell out huge sums for personal seat licenses on new stadiums.}

In fact, the HD experience has become so popular with football fans that 43 percent said they would be more likely to visit their in-laws for the Super Bowl if they owned an HDTV.

{Editor’s note: A lot of those fans probably had in-laws that are part of Nielsen’s 6.5 million homes unprepared for the transition to all-digital television broadcasting.}

The survey also found the following:

More than six in 10 (61 percent) football fans feel an HDTV is “required for a successful football-viewing party.” Comparatively, surround sound was listed as important to 40 percent of respondents and alcohol was found important to 34 percent.

More than half of those football fans surveyed said they would forego a week’s vacation and put their savings towards an HDTV.

Nearly four out of ten (37 percent) of football fans admitted to having been envious of someone’s HD, while only 13 percent of non-football fans acknowledged the same feelings.